New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-07
re paid for what is called the psuper labor of Europe

laborlng people Our labor Is honorable IN 'ho o!'
Of every American citizen and as IT lies at the ioun's
ton Of our development and progress, IL Is ch''''''
without accatlOn or hypocrisy, to the utmost rcsaA
The standard Of our laborcrs' life should not NC
measured by that Of any other country less iaNoou'
and they are entitled to their full snare Z" oil Jul
advantages u
1882 O90 " our population engaged IN all hnu' VI
INDUSTRIES 1910 o3 arc employed In agriculture
AO74o3s I'm professional and personal service
20 Of whom domestic servants ana iloore''
while 1.sIo256 are employed In trsdo anu """'
port ation, and 3,e37,l12 are cIaSSeu d. e"P''' "
manufactu ng and mining
Tor rrescnt mr,nses however. the last number
riven should be considerably reduced WITHOUT al
tempting 70 enumeratc all. 1t VIII Dc cohceucu '''
there should be deducted fIJm those which IhcI"ic
375I43 carpenters and joner-, 24'4ol N'''"hT-'
dressmakcrs and seamstresses. 172726 blacksmith
1873 -5G tailor and talloressea 1O2'413 ma~on-'
-fo41 butchers al 800 bakers, 22.uS3 pia-fer"f-'
and s01 engaged in manufacturing asric i'rai I'M
plements amounting in the aggregate 10 l-lf''-"'
leaving G23, 80 persons employed l. Such mSil4''
urng industries a. arc claimed TO DC benchcd py
high tain
AN APrFAL TO wORKTNGMFN
To these the appca is made TO save their employ
mcnt and maintain their wages by resisting chanS'
There should be no disposition to answer s''n ,"E
tons 10y tho allegation that they are IN A-'-'''H
among those who labor and therefore should io''-"
I advantage, In the interest OF III" pii't3 ~
majority their compensation, a. it may be aHc''" -
The operation OF tariff laws, should at all times Do
scrupnlo,lslv kept in view and yet with slgh' r'"'
ton they will overlook the fact that they arr "
sumers with the rest that they, too, have inc" own
wants and those Of their families TO suppl from 'he''
earnings, and that the price Of the neccssares VI WV
as well a. the amount of their wages Will rcs""
the measure Of their welfare and comfort
But the reduction of taxation demanded sho"" ="
so measured a. not 10 necessate justify either 'hr
loss Of emp ovmcnt by the worlingm7T or IN" lessen
ing of his wages ami ;hc profits sil remaining 10 The
manufacturer. after necessary rrahlr ttneht' Sh""
furnish no excuse for tho sacrifice of the Interests OF
his employees either In their opportunity 70 wor' Of
i'm the dimnutlon OF their compensation Mr. can inc
worker in manufactures fail TO understand ~ "h'
a high tariff Is claimed to be necessary 10 aiio" lh'
naymcnt Of rcmuncrativc wages, II ccrainiF results
in a very large increase in the pricN oil nearly Ill
Sorts Of manufactures. which, in almost countess
forms, lie nee l. for the OF himself ana MS I'S'
He receives the desk Of his employer MS N'S'S
and perhaps before he reaches his home IS opi'-'"'
IN purchase for family use OF an article "m'h M
braces his own labor to return in the payment O. thH
increase I'm price which the tariff permits III" haru
earned compenS alton of many days OF toll
THE rARlrR AND HIS PR FIrS on WOOL.
Tho farmer and the agrlcHltIriS Who manuia'tnf"
nothing. but VINO lay rhe increased p'l'e VIM" ''
ia. lG imposes upon eve 8ri'ui'' 4" HnIcnc'''
ali he wear and upon all he uses ana Owls cA''P '
IA -
hnsbandry produces hon the soil Is invited to ara IN
nainta nins IL prescn' situation and a. i i"" t''
high duty on I'm ported wool Is necessary Tor thr '
~ Of those Who sheep 70 shear Ia oitr INT 'no
price of their wool be increased They - course
are not reminded that the farmer who has no sheep j.
he this scheme oh ged IN his purchases Of clothing
and WOODEN goods to pay tibutc to his fellow farmer
a. well ~ TO Tho manufacturer and merchant h"' j.
any ment ma e of the fat that the sh'cp-""h"iS
Themselves and their households must wear cI"hhE
and use other articles manufactured from the wool
hey sell al tariH prices, and thus as CONSUMERS must
return their share of this Increased price to the as
think It may be fairly assumed that large rr"por-
ton of the sheep owned by the "a mers thfougho the
| country a funid IN mail H. h numbering lf'h'
tweaiy-lvc to fifty. The duly on the grade 4 mI oited
wool which these sheep yield IS ten cent, each o1d
If of the value of thirty less, and twelve cents
il Of the value OF than thirty cents II Tie liberal
estimate OF pound, he allowed for ca h heec'' Inc
duty thereon would b. sixty seventy two ccnis' ana
this may be iaken the utmO enhancement oil us
price to the ia mcr By reason OF th, duty. Eighteen
dollars would ths represent the increased price OF he
wool sheep and tLty six dollars that
from the wool of hity sheep. and at
present values this addition would amount
to about One-third of its price. II upon
IL sale the farmer receives this Or less tarn profit,
the wool leaves his hands charged with precisely chat
sum- which I'm all rs hargcs viii adhere to II until II
reaches tho CONSUMER When manufactured Int" cloth
ami other goods and material for use, rs cost is not
only increased 10 the extent Of the farmers tah profit
but hIrti.r sum been added lO tins benefit Of lie
manufacturer under the operation OF other tafN laws.
In the meantime the day arrives when the fal mer finds
II necessary purchase wooden goods and material
to clothc himself ana family for the winter hen he
the radesan for that purpose he discovers that
he obliged only to return In the way of Increased
prices his profit the wool H. sold and which
then perhaps lies before him In manufactured FORM but
hal he ma add cIsDie "A
further increase in caused by tariff duty on the
manufacture. Thus In the end he Is aroused 10
the fact that he has p1id upon moderate purchase.
. result Of the tariff scheme. which. when be- sod
his seemed profitable increase In price more
than sufficient to away all the tariff profit he
received upon the wool he produced and sold.
"CoMPEITIoN TOO OFTEN sTEANGLED BY CoMBI
NATIONS"
when the number Of fIrmcrs engaged IN wool
raising Is compared with all tho farmers In the
country. and the small proportion they bear 10 our
! population IS considered when IT IS made apparent
| that. IN tho case Of large part OF those who own
sheep. tho beLe1t OF the present tariff on wool Is
llusOry and. above all, when II must be conceded
that the Increase Of The cost of living caused bS such
! tariff becomes LurGen upon those with moderate
means and the poor. the employed and unemployed,
the sick and weu and the young and old. AMI that
IL constitutes tax Vhch. with relentless grasp, Is
fastened upon the clothing of every man. woman and
child In the land reasons are suggested why thc re-
val reduction OF this duty should be Included In
| q revision OF tariff laws
In Speaking OF the Incl cased cost to the consumer
| Of our homo mann features resulting from duty laid
upon imI ortcd articles Of tho description. tbs
fact Is not overlooked that competition among our
domestic N 0dnccrs sometimes has the effect Of keep
ing the price OF their products below the highest
limit allowed by such duty. hut II Is notorious that
| this competition Is too often stranclcd by c0mblna
tion5 quite prevalent at this time. and frequently
called trusts. which have for their object the rcgula
ton OF the supply and price Of commodities made
and sold By members ~ the combination. Tho leo
pie can hardly hope for consideration In the opera
| ton Of these selfish schemes.
H. however. I'm the absence Of such combination.